Henry Geddes knows lighting. As the founder of Splashlight, a photography agency based in New York and Miami, he’s spent much of his professional life creating the best possible lighting for fashion photographs and other images.

So when he would chat with friends on Skype and other live chatting programs, he really took notice of how big an impact poor lighting could have on the visuals. He knew how to set up proper lighting fairly easily, but knew it wasn’t always so simple for everyone else.

So Geddes set out to make it simple. He created Chatlight, a small lighting product that can clip on a computer or other device to improve the lighting for anyone who’s live chatting, streaming or even creating video content.

Chatlight Aims to Improve the Quality of Your Screen Time

Chatlight retails for $29.99 and comes in both black and silver. It has a USB charger and lasts for 90 minutes with one full charge, or you can keep it plugged in if you have a longer chat or live stream planned. You can also adjust the brightness and the direction of the light so that you get the best possible quality for your chat or streaming visuals.

For small businesses, this simple product presents a unique opportunity. Livestreaming and video content have gained a lot of popularity in recent years. But if you present dark, grainy visuals to your audience, they aren’t as likely to keep coming back for more. However, a high quality, well-lit video or live stream can really set the right tone for your brand.

In addition, there are many opportunities for brands to improve when it comes to online customer service and interaction. Many businesses may even need to live chat with customers in order to really communicate effectively.

Geddes said in a phone interview with Small Business Trends, “People who have consulting businesses, people who have educational training businesses, people who diagnose or have medical practices and all different types of businesses can really benefit from talking directly to their patients, customers or students in some form or another.”

Chatlight has an adjustable clip, so it can attach to basically any computer or laptop screen. But Geddes did note that it could be difficult to fit on computers that are older and have thicker screens. However, you can attach the clip to another item around your computer screen for basically the same effect. And you can charge the light with any device that has a USB port.

Annie Pilon is a Senior Staff Writer for Small Business Trends, covering entrepreneur profiles, interviews, feature stories, community news and in-depth, expert-based guides. When she’s not writing she can be found on her personal blog Wattlebird, and exploring all that her home state of Michigan has to offer.

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